title: Flow-microfluorometric monitoring of oligoclonal CD8+ T cell responses to an immunodominant Moloney leukemia virus-encoded epitope in vivo.
abstract: The TCR repertoire of CD8+ T cells specific for Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV)-associated Ags has been investigated in vitro and in vivo. Analysis of a large panel of established CD8+ CTL clones specific for M-MuLV indicated an overwhelming bias for V beta4 in BALB/c mice and for V beta5.2 in C57BL/6 mice. These V beta biases were already detectable in mixed lymphocyte:tumor cell cultures established from virus-immune spleen cells. Furthermore, direct ex vivo analysis of PBL from BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice immunized with syngeneic M-MuLV-infected tumor cells revealed a dramatic increase in CD8+ cells expressing V beta4 or V beta5.2, respectively. M-MuLV-specific CD8+ cells with an activated (CD62L-) phenotype persisted in blood of immunized mice for at least 2 mo, and exhibited decreased TCR and CD8 levels compared with their naive counterparts. In C57BL/6 mice, most M-MuLV-specific CD8+ CTL clones and immune PBL coexpressed V alpha3.2 in association with V beta5.2. Moreover, these V beta5.2+ V alpha3.2+ cells were shown to recognize the recently described H-2Db-restricted epitope (CCLCLTVFL) encoded in the leader sequence of the M-MuLV gag polyprotein. Collectively, our data demonstrate a highly restricted TCR repertoire in the CD8+ T cell response to M-MuLV-associated Ags in vivo, and suggest the potential utility of flow-microfluorometric analysis of V beta and V alpha expression in the diagnosis and monitoring of viral infections.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brawand
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biasi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Horvath
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cerottini
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: MacDonald
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002999:Clone Cells; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology; D015332:Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000276:immunology; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000276:immunology; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007700:Kinetics; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus / Q000276:immunology*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012192:Retroviridae Infections; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta